The U.S. Air Force is now being urged to enhance its skiplanes.
(Photo : Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
A C-130 Hercules aircraft comes into land at the Townsville airport on September 11, 2020 in Townsville, Australia. Australian Defence Force troops are being deployed to Victoria as part of Operation COVID-19 Assist, part of the Australia government's coronavirus response.
If you have no idea what this aircraft is, a skiplane is an airplane fitted with skis and other parts, allowing it to land on and take off from snow.
Thanks to the development of skiplanes, the U.S. government is able to conduct operations throughout the Arctic.
But, the U.S. Congress still wants the Air Force to put more effort into enhancing its skiplanes.
US Air Force Urged to Enhance Skiplanes!
According to AirForce Times' latest report, the Russian and Chinese troops are further expanding across the Arctic.
(Photo : Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
A U.S military C-130 Hercules aircaft is seen flying over a simulated crash site during Exercise Angel Reign on July 1, 2016 in Townsville, Australia. Exercise Angel Reign is the largest Air Force led field exercise in Australia this year and is a bilateral Joint Personnel Recovery exercise which aims to practice search and rescue activities both at sea and on land.
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Because of this, the U.S. Congress wants to ensure that the polar airlift fleet of the United States can keep up with the pace of Russia and China.
"The Congress believes that this vital capability must be maintained, modernized and eventually replaced in an appropriate and timely fashion," said the legislation.
As of writing, the U.S. Congress is expecting a new set of C-130 airframes to replace the existing LC-130H Hercules (aka Skibirds).
U.S. Air Force's Skiplanes
As of writing, the U.S. Air Force is still using the LC-130H Hercules; a skiplane version of the advanced C-130 aircraft.
Lockheed Martin explained that the C-130 aircraft already has a long history.
It was used to airdrop military supplies in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and other countries during wars.
However, they were designed to endure harsh conditions in the polar regions.
Although lawmakers said that skiplanes could last 15 years, some instances revealed that the LC-130 units are already taking a toll flying in cold weather conditions.
You can click this link to see what happened to the recently stranded LC-130 at the South Pole in November.
In other news, the U.S. Air Force awarded Leidos a million-dollar deal to develop a new air-breathing hypersonic system.
Meanwhile, North Korea's spy satellites are expected to undergo test flights by 2023.
For more news updates about skiplanes and other aerial vehicles, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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